The tidal change in the Beaufort area is one of the more extreme along the entire southeastern coastline. The average high tide exceeds seven feet, and the highest projected for March is 8.5 feet. Low tides sometimes drop below mean low water, and the lowest projected for March is -0.8 feet.
Tidal differences are critical to fish and fishermen alike. For fish, an extreme high tide gives them access to areas they can’t enter otherwise. An unusually low tide means sections of the creeks and marsh become dry or at least too shallow to enter. When extreme tides occur at both levels on the same day the difference can surpass nine feet, and the difference is remarkable.
Extreme tides affect fish and their habits, plus where they can feed. An extremely high tide allows bait and predators to venture farther onto flooded flats and deeper into the marsh. At the bottom of the tide, an extremely low tide forces fish, baitfish and small shellfish to abandon places in search of suitably deep locations.
Extreme tides also mean more water moves to and/or through an area in the same amount of time, so the velocity of the tide has to be greater. This may cause an immediate shift in feeding location from the increased intensity of the tidal flow in the short run. Over time, it can create enough erosion to change the bottom or bank contour and change the feeding location for times with lesser tidal flow.
In shallow marsh creeks, the tidal stage and flow is critical. There must be enough water to maneuver a boat and create places fish (and fishermen) can escape the flow. Fishermen should remember that the tide is not at the same stage in all areas at the same time.
While the actuality varies a little depending on the size of the body of water and other waterways nearby, the general rule of thumb is that the tide change happens first at the inlets and takes place later the farther inland one goes. There are several locations in the Beaufort area where the tide stage is more than an hour behind the inlets. Even at its size and straight path from Port Royal Inlet, the tide is 50 minutes later at the Broad River Bridge than in the mouth of the inlet.
Understanding the tide and its rise and fall is important for several reasons. One of the most important is realizing that when fishing a falling tide well inland, it will be substantially later than near the inlet before the tide has risen enough to run a boat through some of the shallower creeks.
This can also be used as an advantage. By paying close attention to the time and tide stage, a fisherman could begin near the inlet and fish a similar stage of the tide by making occasional short moves inland for a couple of hours.
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